Girl, 14, escapes after kidnap ordeal

Tuesday

Jan 21, 2014 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - A 39-year-old man has been arrested for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl, holding her against her will for three to four days and beating her before she was able to escape to safety Monday, Stockton police reported.

Joe Goldeen

STOCKTON - A 39-year-old man has been arrested for kidnapping a 14-year-old girl, holding her against her will for three to four days and beating her before she was able to escape to safety Monday, Stockton police reported.

The girl, whose name and hometown were withheld, ran away from the man's residence in the 700 block of North Airport Way near East Park Street and called her mother Monday morning to help her, according to police spokesman Officer Joe Silva.

The mother called police shortly after 10:15 a.m. Monday. Officers were dispatched to the suspect's single-family home on Airport Way where, upon entry, they found illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia and arrested Thornton Lester Cooley on suspicion of kidnapping and drug possession, police said.

The girl, who left her home in another city in San Joaquin County several days earlier, reportedly met Cooley for the first time sometime after she arrived in Stockton.

Silva said that, to his knowledge, the girl was never reported missing during the entire ordeal. Investigators are still attempting to determine if she is a runaway or left home with her family's knowledge.

At some point, after moving into Cooley's home, the girl attempted to leave by walking outside, but Cooley reportedly went after her and dragged her back by her hair, Silva said. That is also when he allegedly beat the victim. Silva could not provide a time when that may have occurred.

Later Monday, after the girl was safely with her mother, officers who made contact with her reported "no visible injuries," said Silva, unaware of any other harm to the girl other than what was reported.

In addition to kidnapping and drug charges, Cooley also faces charges of felony false imprisonment by violence and felony child abuse/endangerment.

He is being held in the San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp in lieu of $691,000 bail. A Superior Court date has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

"Right now, this is an isolated incident. It's still an active investigation. Anyone with any information on this case or on the suspect should please contact the Police Department," Silva said. That number is (209) 937-8377.

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter@JoeGoldeen.